Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 82
82 country, and in the midst of a people, among whom a woman, in general, did not possess a status greater than that of an animal. He, then, bound this command with two such things, to the lofty standard of which the apparently advanced nations of today have not yet reached, nor will they ever be able to reach. For, with these two adjuncts, the command about the good treatment of one’s wife reaches heights which are the loftiest in this field: ? S : , DA : , DA s ,@ 9 ; tS m ( These two qualifications are in conformity with the observation made by our chief (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and are as follows: 1. Kind treatment of one’s wife is not only obligatory on the part of a man but is in fact, in the eyes of God, a measure of the excellence of his station and place as a man, in the sphere of his obligations to the servants of God. One who is good in his treatment of his wife is good in the sight of God. 2. The standard for judging one’s good conduct towards one’s wife does not depend on the arbitrary opinion of an individual, for self-praise is very easy. The standard in this respect lies in the personal example of the Holy Prophet himself (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him ever and evermore). Only that treatment will be termed kindly and good, which conforms and sizes up to the standard set by his example.